29 



the sun, moon, stars, earth and heaven, to be the only 

 Gods, must be understood of the Pelasgi ; or if supposed to 

 mean the Hellenes also, this assertion must be modified, 

 as it is by Aristotle, who confines this opinion to the most 

 ancient sages, adding that the rest of the Greek theoloo-y 

 consisted of fables to amuse and please the vulgar, suj^port 

 the laws, and for public utility.* However, these fables 

 were invented, or adopted, only after a long course of 

 ages. 



The Hellenes for a longtime had neither temples nor altars. 

 Cecrops, who reigned in Attica about the year 1550 B. C. is 

 said to have been the first who raised an altar to God, whom 

 he called Zen, that is, the giver of life. Tliis was certainly 

 the true God, for at that time this name was not associated 

 with, or polluted by the extravagant tales of a subsequent 

 period ; but it does not appear that he set up any statue 

 of him, Euseb. Lib. x. p. 486. Eusebius indeed adds that 

 Cecrops erected a statue of Atlieiie, whom the Latins long 

 after called Minerva ; but this statue was set up to lionour 

 her not as a goddess, but as the inventress or improver of 

 several useful arts, as that of spinning and weaving. Ovid 

 Fasti, Lib. 3. v. 817, &c. She probably substituted the 

 wheel for the distaff, and also invented the shuttle. She also 

 cultivated olives more skilfully than was before practised. 

 Diodorus, Lib. v. p. 389 ; but neither her statue, nor any 

 other statue, were at that time, nor for many ages after, 



objects 



* Metaphj'. Lib. xiv. Chap. 8, aJ finern. 



